Grain-weighing machine.



No.' 849,215. PATENTED APR. 2, 1907.

M. DAVIS. GRAIN WBIGHING MAGHINE.

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PATENTED A-PR. 2,' 1907.

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y M. DAVIS. GRAIN WBI'GHING MACHINE. APLIGATION FILED JULY 1 3. 19.06.

10.849,215. PATBNTED APR.2,-1907..

M;- DAVIS.

GRAIN WEIGHING MACHINE. APrLIoATIoN FILED JULY 1a. 19406.

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d?? @Mw No. 849,215. PATENTED APR. 2,-1907.

M. DAVIS.

GRAIN WEIGHING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED JULYls, 190e.

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UNITE@ STATES PATIENT OEIEIOE.

MONROE DAVIS, OF BILLINGS, OKLAHOMA TERRITORY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- IIALF TOO. W. HUTOHINSON, OF BILLINGS, OKLAHOMA TERRITORY.

GRAIN-WEIGHING MACHINE..

Specification of Letters Patent.

Iatented April 2, 1907.

Application filed July 13, 1906. Serial No. 326,024.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MONROE'DAVIS, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Billings, in the county of Noble and Territory of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain-VVeighing Machines, of which the 'following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic weighing-machines, and more especially to that class comprising a pair of boxes adapted to alternatelyT receive and discharge grain without interrupting its flow from the point of supply to the boxes, my object being to produce a machine of this character which operates efficiently and reliably.

A further object is to produce a machine of this character havin(T two bearings which alternately Aform the tulcrums in the wei ghing operations to 'facilitate and render such operations more accurate.

A still further object is to provide a traveling weight to cooperate in effecting the quick and accurate Weighing of the grain and to eiliect the deflection of the same into said boxes alternately.

IVith these objects in view and others, as hereinafter appear, the invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and organization, as hereinafter described and claimed, and in order that itmay be Jfully understood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a weighing-machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view with the operative parts occupying a changed relation from that shown in Fig. 1. Eig. 3 is a top plan view with the parts in the position shown by Eig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section on the line IV IV of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a sectional perspective view ot the lower portion of one of the boxes. Fig. 6 isa side view of the lower portion of one ot the boxes.

In the said drawings, where like reference characters refer to corresponding parts, 1 indicates a pair of cross-timbers ot an elevator or other support, and 2 upright slotted standards or guides secured rigidly to said timbers or support. 3 indicates a pair ot abutments, preferably of triangular form and pivoted at 4 to the outer side or face of one of the timbers, stop-pins 5 projecting from the timber to limit the downward pivotal movement of said abutments,

6 indicate bars secured rigidly upon timbers 1 and provided with longitudinal slots 7.

8 are bearing-brackets engaging the upper edges and outer sides of bars 6, and 9 clamping-bolts carried by said brackets and extending through said slots to clamp the brackets at the desired points of adjustment. The brackets are provided with upwardlydisposed concave bearing-cavities 10 and are provided at the inner sides of said bearingcavities with upwardly projecting guardarms 11.

12 indicate knife-bearings projecting outward Jfrom the lower ends of rigid hangers comprising plates 13 and 14, clamped iirmly by bolts 15 against the outer and inner faces, respectively, oi one side of a rectangular rocking frame or beam 16, said beam preferably consisting oi two similar sections terminating at their ends in outwardly-projecting arms 17, bolted together, as at 18, the sides of the rectangular beam or 'frame extending .through the slotted uprights or standards 2,

so as to be limited in the tilting or rocking movements by said standards.

19 indicates barsiorming depending arms for the ends of the beam, the upper ends of said bars being clamped rigidly between arms 17 by the bolts 18, whereby the sections are secured together.

20 indicates a track-rail disposed, preterably, parallel with the rocking beam or iframe and secured to the latter, the preferred connection being to provide the trackrail with arms 21, bolted to the opposite ends of the beam or trame, the connection being made more rigid by braces 22 and 23.

24 indicates vertical standards secured rigidly in any suitable manner to bars 6 and connected near their upper ends by bars 25 and 26, and secured upon and bridging the space between bars 26 is a hopper 27.

28 indicates a partition extending from one side of the hopper to the other and provided with a horizontal longitudinally-slotted arm 29, bridging the space between the partition and one of the inclined walls of the hopper. A bolt 30', carried by the hopper, extends through said slot and is engaged by a wing-nut 31, whereby the partition can be clamped at the desired point of adjustment in the hopper.

32 indicates a transverse rock-shaft journaled at its ends in bars 25, and rigidly mountlOO ed on said shaft and underlying the hopper is a tilting pan 33, provided with upwardlyprojecting end langes 34, the latter serving to prevent any of the grain which ialls upon the tilting pan from escaping over the ends of the same.

i indicates a T-coupling forming a head for one end of rock-shaft 32, and 36 a lever extending through and rigidly secured to said coupling and provided above the latter with an adjustable weight 37, said weight being adapted to screw upward or downward on the lever to increase or diminish the resistance oiiered by the latter to rocking movement, said lever preferably extending down through the space between the trackrail 2O and the corresponding side of the rocking beam or frame and outward of the plane of the timbers or support l.

38 indicates cross-rods ournaled in the sides of the rock beam or frame at equal distances from and at opposite sides of its center, said rods forming pivoted suspending means for the grain boxes or receptacles 39, which have their lower ends tapered or converging to form narrow transverse dischargeopenings of small capacity as compared with the open upper or receiving ends of the boxes.

40 indicates hinged valves or gates to liorm closures for the openings at the lower ends of the boxes, provided with outwardly-projecting arms 4l, having stops 42 near their outer ends and outward of said stops pivoted to and between the parallel links 43, pivotally connected to and arranged between the parallel arms forming swing-frames 44, pivotally suspended from the boxes 39, said links and frames constituting a toggle connection between the boxes and their' respective valves or gates. The lower ends et frames 44 curve outward, and their arms are connected at their lower extremity by cross-pins 45, and extending loosely through said swingframes are swing-bars 46, pivoted at their upper ends to the lower ends el the rigid arms 19 of the rocking beam or l'rame. The swing-bars 46 are provided with `notches 47 in their outer edges, and pivoted to said bars above the notches are biturcated guards 4S, the cross or bridging pieces 49 et said guards being adapted at times to enter said notches for a purpose which hereinafter appears.

50 indicates a part bearing a rigid relation to the support l, and pivotally connecting said part 50 with the lower ends ol' the boxes are links 51, the pivotal movement oit the links being so slight 'as compared with their length that the swinging movement which they impart to the boxes as the latter rise and fall is not noticeable, said links being simply provided to guard. against undesirable movement of the boxes toward or Vfrom each other while the weighing operations are in progress.

l i l l l A traveling weight to facilitate the tilting action ol: the rocking trame or beam, and thereby render the weighing operation more accurate, comprises a weight 52, provided with hangers 55, equipped with grooved rollers 54, engaging track-rail 2U, and said weight is provided with a depending arm 55, equipped with a roller 56 to operate in conjunction with the pivoted abutinents ln operation the bearings Vform alternately the liulcrums and in the interim a joint sul port Vlor the boxes, as shown in Fig. l, in which figure the valve or gate ol one box is open and the other closed, the closed box at such time being charged or loaded. rlhe boxes also occupy the same position when both are empty, though in this case both valves or gates would be closed.

Assuming that the machine is in operation and is in the position shown by Fig. l, it is to be understood that the left-hand box has received sufficient grain to cause it to descend and cause the right-hand box to ascend to the position olI rest-that is, with the bearings Yforming a joint support for the boxes. It is to be understood also that as the previously-charged or right-hand box started upward the toggle between the valve and box was broken and the pressure olz the grain caused the valve to open by preponderance of weight and permit the grain to escape, which escape continues un til the box is emptied, the major portion escaping alter the box has been raised to the position el rest, because the upward movement is very quick. As soon as the box is emptied the valve automatically closes by gravity or preponderanceo'l weight outward of its hingepoint. During this period the left-hand box is lilling, this action continuing until some time after the right-hand box is emptied and its valve is closed. W' hen the predetermined weight ol grain ,is imposed on the left-hand box, the weight is transferred lrom both bearings to the lett-hand bearing, and in consequence the left-hand or charged box descends and the right-hand or empty box rises to the positions respectively shown in Fig. 2. As the rocking beam or lrame partakes olI the movement described the weight is raised until its roller 56 passes above the plane ol: the right-hand abutment, and as a result the weight starts down the inclined track-rail and acquires sull'icient momentum in such passage or travel to operate the shilllever from the position shown in lull to the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2, the roller 56 striking the lower end olE the lever to eilect such shift and cause the grain to pass into the right-hand box. rl`he travel olI the weight continues until arrested by the depressed end of the rocking beam or lrame, and in suoli passage roller 56 passes under and beyond. the left-hand abutment, it being noted in this connection that the slotted IOS standards at the right-hand end of the machine limit the rocking or tilting movement of the rocking beam or frame, and consequently the rise and fall of the boxes.

The parts remain in the positions described until sufficient grain has entered the elevated or right-hand box to counterbalance the fully charged or depressed box, when the latter rises and the former descends until the weight of both is imposed on both bearings at the point of rest and the roller 56 is raised to the plane of the adjacent abutment and is prevented thereby from travel toward the other abutment. During the rise of the lefthand and the descent of the right-hand box to the point of rest the toggle between the former and its valve is broken (as before explained with reference to the right-hand box) and the grain begins to escape and continues to flow until the box is emptied, when the valve recloses automatically. The iow of grain into the right-hand box continues until the predetermined weight is imposed thereon and the emptied or left-hand box is overbalanced, this resulting in a transfer of the Weight onto the right-hand bearing when the parts occupy a position the reverse of that shown in Fig. 2, the weight traveling downward to the right on the track-rail and in such passage causing the shift-lever to resume its original position and the tilting pan to deflect the grain from the spout into the left-hand box. The grain continues to llow into the left-hand box until suflicient enters to overbalance the fully-charged box and raise it to the point of rest, as shown in Fig. 1, it being noted that the partially-illed box accomplishes this result because it has the advantage of a long leverage on the other box, as hereinbefore explained in connection with the corresponding action of the other box, it being also understood that the valve of the right-hand box starts to open as it rises.

The above description of the operation leaves the parts in their initial positions, and further description of the general operation would be repetition,

In the rocking operation of the rocking beam or frame the descending box being closer to the fulcrum-point than the corresponding end of the beam or frame imparts to its rock-frame 44 a shorter downward movement than is imparted by the frame to swing-bar 46, and as a consequence the said rock-frame 44 when the rocking movement of the beam is completed occupies the relative position with respect to the swing-bar 46 that is shown in Fig. 2-th`at is to say, cross-pin 45 of said rock-frame has, in effect, moved upwardly between the notched portion of bar 46 and its pivotallypendent guard 48. Now as the rock-beam again is reversed and relevates the depressed box the latter moves upward more slowly than the corresponding end of said beam, and as a result the shoulder at the lower end of the notch of bar 46 comes into engagement with and presses upwardly and outward on cross-pin 45 of said rockframe 44 and rocks the same outwardly on its pivotal point of connection with the box, and thereby breaks the toggle constituted by links 43 and the upper part of the said rockframe, as hereinbefore explained, by moving the pivotal point of connection between said link and rock-frame outward beyond the plane occupied by the pivotal point of connection of the opposite ends of the toggle with the box and the arm of its valve. As this action takes place the weight of the grain opens the valve and swings it and its connectedparts from the position shown at the lefthand side of Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. 6,in which action it will be noticed that the cross-pin of the rock-frame swings the guard upwardly, the opening movement of the valve continuing until the cross-pin ofits'rockframe swings clear over and beyond the guard, when the latter gravitates back to its original or pendent position. The valve and its connected parts remain in this position as long as the grain is escaping, and then it recloses automatically, because the preponderating weight is outward of the hinge-point, the rock-haine under the closing action of the valve swinging downward past the pivotallypendent guard to the position shown at the left-hand side of Fig. l.

It will be understood that because the valve is tripped when the box is rising, and consequently after it has been weighed and before the other box has been weighed, that there is no resistance offered by the tripping action to the weighing operation` and that consequently the weighing operation is more accurate than if the valve had to be tripped in the descending or weighing operation of the box, as in such action the extra resistance of the tripping action would have to be taken into consideration. in brief, by tripping the valve when the box is rising a surplus power is utilized. The same thing is true of the traveling weight-that is to say,

the traveling weight operates the shift-lever and its tilting pan after each weighing operation has been performed and before the companion boxis weighed, and consequentlynone of the power used in the weighing operation is employed in reversing the position of the Itilting pan. As far as I am aware there is no grain-weighing machine or apparatus on the market which trips the valve of each box and reverses the position of the tilting pan in the interim between weighing operations. The specific gravity 'of the traveling weight is of course taken into consideration in the weighing operation, as it cooperates with the empty box in resisting downward movement of the loaded box beyond the point of IOO IOS

rest and then travels te the depressed end et the trame and cooperates with the leaded bex in resisting downw: rd movement ol the other box to the position et rest, it being` remembered that the partially-leaded bex starts to elevate the fully-loaded box because ol' the great ailvai'itage et leverage possessedvthat is, beeause the partiallyloaded box is relatively a inueh greater distauee Atrom the tulerum-point than the leaded box and. the traveling weight.

lt will be noted that the empty box be- :ause et its invariable advantage et leverage over the loaded one z e s as and in 'reality is a weightI and that `grain ein be aecurately weighed in the boxes without employirgr the traveling weight or equivalefit ttereol, though ol course in suoli event tlze me 33s emlo'yed to operate the shift-le ver it automatie would be operated while the weighing operation was in progress, and ther/"tere would have to be tali/enV into aecount in the weighing' operation.

' i arms 1l ot the bearing-brackets `ne serve as a guide tor the m1` vemnt ot the limitebeariiihs l2 as they alternately rise above and return to their seats or bearing-cavities l0.

This maeliiiie can be adjusted to weigh dill'erent (piantitiee ot grain b v the adiustment et the bearings upon bars t3 and the roel\V beam orlrame 1G, the adviustinent being outward for inerez'rsed and inwa d ler diminished weights. 'llze adiustmeiit et the l earings te permit dill'ereiet quantities ol" grain to be weighed in` the boxes disti euislies the machine clearly trom the irdirary type, in which the pr iis shifts d or variable weights employed tor the same purpose.

The gain is supplied to 'the hopper through an ele :iter-spout 57 or its equivalent, and the partition 2&3 is made adjustable to accommodate dille/rent eliaiaeters or eonditioiis ol' grain or dillereizees ot speed with which it is desired to supply the lminier that is to say, the part 2t) is so adiusted that the irmpaet ot tl: i e'raii-L on the tiltable pan shall be impe-sed about centrally et the pan, se as to avoid aiv possibility ot the position et said pain` beine' rmi'ersed under such impaet and (iliscfhargme the grain into the wrongr box. 'le boxes ot eourse discharge into a eliute (not shown) leading to a ear to be leaded or into any other suitable receptaele.

From the above deseription it will be apparent that l have produced a weisv -ma- Chine possessing the features ot adva ogre enume ated as desirable in the ateiiient ot the ebieet et the invention, and l wish it to be understood that il do not de to be restricted to the exact details et emistruetion shown and described, as obvious nmdi'lieitiens will suggest themselves to one skilled in the art.

the )eam and alternately torni bearings therefor, a pair et boxes pivotally suspended irem tY e leam outward ol' said bearings, a

hopper, a tiltabie pan below the same, and means to automatici lly tilt said 'pan and cause the grain 'trom the hopper te alterlately 'lill said boxes.

3. ,li a grain-weighing machine, a roeliiue beam, a pair et bearings to jointly support Ythe beam and alternately torni bearings tlerelor, a pair ol" bexes pivotally suspended trom beam outward ot said bearings, a hopper, a tiltable pan below the same, aud a travel' weight to automatically change its position alter one box has been weighed and ineidentally reverse the position et the tilftizrg;l pan and eause the grainv trom the bopper to pass into the other or empty l ox.

lt. ln a grain-wei ine* maeliine, a roe-king` we 'it to move up and down with and. long itudiizally the beam and adapted to be prever-.t id vtreni niovingl longitudinally by tbe abutment l@ontiguous to tno empty bi x until the opposite box has been weighed and raised the mposite end ot the beam sullieiently high to lil't the weight completely above the abutinen 5. In a weighing-machine, a suitable support, st:V fndards and abutments earried thereby, a roeliing beam above the support and adapted to be limited in its roeliiiie' movements by said standards, a pair ol' bearingbraeliets at opposite sides ot and equal distanees trom the eei'iter ol the beam and rigid with said` supports, bearings rigid with and at opposite sides oi" and eq ual distances t'roui thx e inter ot the beam, engaging said bearing-brackets simultauoously or alternately, boxes pivotally suspended trom the beam outward el' said bearings, a hoppe above the boxes, a tilting` parI below the hopper, a sluit-lever to operate said panl and hold the sai' ie i,fieldiiely tilted to diseliaree irito one box or tle other, and a weight movable upward with the beam and l( ngitudinally thereof and adapted 'to be prevented by the adjacent abut/ment trein the last-named l movement until it is lii'ted above said abut- IOO ICS

ment and in its longitudinal movement to operate the shift-lever and reverse the position of the tilting pan.

6. In a machine of the character described, a rocking beam, bearings at opposite sides of its center to alternately form the fulcrums of said beam, boxes pivotally suspended from the` beam outward of said bearings, abutments outward of the suspension-points of the boxes, a longitudinal track-rail rigid with the beam, a traveling weight on said rail outward of the pivotal point of the box to be raised and having a part outward of the corresponding abutment, a tilting pan to discharge grain into -the other box until the same overbalances the empty box and the weight and raises the latter until it clears said abutment, and a shift-lever connected to said tilting pan and adapted to be operated by the weight as it travels down the inclined track-rail a'l-ter being raised above the abutment, the abutment-engaging part of the weight in such movement passing under and outward of the other abutment.

7. In a grain-weighing machine, a rocking beam, a pair of bearings to jointly support the beam and alternately form bearings therefor, a pair of boxes pivotally suspended from the beam outward of said bearings, and means to prevent undue swinging movement of the boxes as they rise and fall in the weighing operation.

8. In a grain-weighing machine, a rocking beam, a pair of bearings to jointly support the beam and alternately form bearings therefor, a pair of boxes pivotally suspended from the beam outward of said bearings, a rigid part, and links pivotally connecting said part with the boxes to prevent undue swinging movement of the latter in the weighing operations.

9. In a machine ofthe character described, a box having its lower end open, a hinged valve, a frame pivoted to the box, a link pivoted at its opposite ends to the valve and to said pivoted frame intermediate of its ends, a rocking beam from which the box is suspended, and a bar supported from the rocking beam at a greater distance from its fulcrum than the box and adapted as the beam rocks and raises the box to be also raised and engage the outer end of the pivoted frame and break the toggle composed of said frame and link, to permit the valve to open.

10. In a machine of the character described, a box having its lower end open, a hinged valve, a toggle between the box and valve to hold the latter closed over said opening, a bar having a shoulder engaging a part of the toggle, means to raise the box, and means to simultaneously but more rapidly raise said bar and cause it to break the toggle to permit the valve to be opened.

11. In a machine of the character described, a box having an opening in its lower end, a hinged valve having an arm projecting outward of the hinge-point, a preponderating weight on the valve comprising a hinged frame pivotally suspended from the box and provided with a cross-pin, a link pivotally connecting said arm with the valve-arm and forming in conjunction with said frame a toggle held normally locked by the preponderating weight, and means to swing said frame outward to break the toggle and permit the valve to be opened.

12. In a machine of the character described, a box having an opening in its lower end, a hinged valve having an arm projecting outward of the hinge-point, a preponderating weight on the valve comprising a hinged frame pivotally suspended from the box and provided with a cross-pin, a link pivotally connecting said arm with the valve-arm and forming in conjunction with said frame a toggle held normally locked by the preponderating weight, a pivoted bar having its outer edge engaged by said cross-pin and provided with a notch above the latter, and a guard to close said notch at times.

V13. In a machine of the character described, a box having an opening in its lower end, a hinged valve having an arm projecting outward of the hinge-point, a preponderating weight on the valve comprising a hinged frame pivotally suspended from the box and provided with a cross-pin, a link pivotally connecting said arm with the valve-arm and forming in conjunction with said frame a toggle held normally locked by the preponderating weight, and a pivoted bar engaged by said cross-pin and caused by the latter to pitch downwardly and inwardly and provided above said pin with a notch in its outer edge and with a guard adapted to close said notch at times.

14. In a machine of the character described, a rocking beam, a box pivotally suspended therefrom, open at its lower end, a bar depending from the beam at a greater distance from its fulcrum than the box, a bar pivotally suspended from the depending bar to swing'toward or from the box and provided with a notch and a pivoted guard to normally close the notch, a valve hinged at its outer edge to the box, and a preponderating weight on the valve outward of its hingepoint, comprising a swing-frame carried by the box and provided with a cross-pin outward of the pivoted bar, and a link pivotally connecting the swing-frame and the valve.

15. In a machine of the character described, the combination cfa scale-beam, a pair of boxes pivotally carried by the Ybeam having valve-controlled discharge ends, means whereby the leverage on the beam of the charged box over the uncharged box is decreased, means for charging the empty box until with its advantage of leverage it starts to descend and at the same time elevates the charged box,

IOO

and means to open the valve of the charged box as it rises.

16. In a machine of the character described, thecombination of a rocking beam, bearings for the same at opposite sides of its center and adapted to alternately form the fulcrum thereof and in the interim a joint-support therefor, boxes pivotally suspended from the beam outward of said bearings, and a weight to resist downward movement of the loaded box and after the same is weighed to rapidly move to a point where it will resist the downward movement of the companion box,

17 In a machine oi' the character described, the combination of a rocking beam, bearings for the same at opposite sides its center i and adapted to alternately form the fulcrum thereof and in the interim a joint-support therefor, boxes pivotally suspended from the beam outward of said bearings, a weight to resist downward movement of the loaded box and after the same is weighed to rapidly move f to a point where it will resist the downward movement of the companion box, and means actuated by said weight while changing its position to cut oii the supply of grain to the loaded box and direct it into the companion box.

18. In a machine ofthe character described, a rocking beam, bearings at opposite sides oi' the center of the same and adapted to alternately form the fulcrum thereof, a pair of boxes pivotally suspended from the beam at the outer sides of said bearings, and a weight end of the beam in the interim between the weighing of the boxes.

i9. In a machine of the character described, a rocking beam, bearings at opposite sides ol' the center of the same and adapted to form 5 alternately, fulcrurns therefor7 a pair of boxes l pivotally suspended from the beam at the outer sides of said bearings, a weight adapted l to travel from the higher to the lower end of the beain in the interim between the weighing of the boxes, and means actuated by the weight in changing` its position, to cut olf the supply to the weighted box and direct it into 1 the companion box.

ln testimony whereof I a'llix my signature i in the presence of two witnesses.

MONR OE l )Al/IS.

H. C. R oneens,

i i Witnesses:

L G. 'Y THORPE.

adapted to travel from the higher to the lower 

